You Gotta Get A Gimmick
by Tsubasa Hane
Summary: Rahne, Tabby, Jubilee, and Amara give the newbie, Ryo, a lesson in what it takes to be a New Recruit in this parody of the popular song from GYPSY. Don't you just love musicals?


The next chapter of **Primary Colors** has been taking a bit longer than expected, so I figured I might as well do a little something to make up for all the time gone by without a post. This is yet another example of one of my random bursts of inspiration that I got during an American History quiz. Don't you just love musicals?

* * *

**You Gotta Get a Gimmick  
**

* * *

The Mansion was eerily quiet as the 16-year-old slowly made her way down the hall. Barely a week had gone by since Ryo first arrived, and everything was still so new. One of the guys—Evan—had been showing her around the last few days, but he went out for the afternoon with his aunt, and she had yet to really talk to anybody else.

On top of that…this place was _huge_!

After a moment, she managed to find the lounge area, surprised to see four of the younger girls already inside. The blonde was lying on the couch with her eyes closed and feet up on the armrest, while the Asian girl sat directly behind her, talking to somebody on the phone. The other two were laying flat on their stomachs on the carpet, both watching the big screen television.

All eyes were focused on the door as Ryo wearily entered the room. "Um…hi." She spoke up, not used to being the center of attention, yet not minding it so much.

"Hey there. You're the new girl, aren't you?" The Asian asked as she hung up the phone. Ryo nodded in reply, leaning against the doorframe. "What's your name?"

"Ryo."

"Rio?" The blonde repeated, opening one eye. "As in _Grande_?"

The others giggles a little and Ryo found herself joining them. "Sort of, but with a _y_, not _i_. It means 'dragon,' or roughly 'heart of a dragon' in Japanese. Where my parents got that from, I'll never know."

"Cool." The red-haired girl commented with a Scottish accent. "I'm Rahne." She motioned to the girl next to her, "This is Amara…" then pointed to the blonde, "…Tabby…" then to the Asian, "…and Jubilee."

Jubilee waved. "I think we'll be sharing a room once you've settled in."

"So what's your gimmick?" the girl named Tabby asked.

"Gimmick?" With a look of confusion, Ryo entered the room, moving to sit down in the nearby armchair. "What do you mean?" The other girls looked at one anther for a moment with mischievous grins on their faces, then simultaneously turned back, expressions just a little too innocent for her liking.

It was Rahne who answered her question. "You know…gimmick. Something that makes you stand out, seem unique. Like me, for example." She sat up on the couch facing the older girl. "My power is morphing into a wolf-like creature, along with all the heighten senses that go with it. Therefore, I am technically not just a mutant, but a werewolf!"

"Really?" Ryo's eyes went wide in amazement.

"Sure." Tabby replied, sitting up as well. The other girls followed suit. "Same with the rest of us. Same with you, even. If you're gonna make it here at Mutant Mannor—as well call it" This earned her a smile. "—it'll take a lot more than just a pretty face and special talents…"

Ryo sits back in her chair as the music begins. All four girls stand up and form a line in front of her, slightly swaying side-to-side.

**Jubilee: **_You can pull all the stops out, 'till they call the cops out  
Work your behind 'till you're sore_

**Tabby: **_But you gotta get a gimmick; always leave 'em wantin' more_

In unison, they each do a slow turn to their left, more for show than anything else.

**Rahne: **_You can sacrifice your sacro, workin' in the back row  
Live life that way 'till you're dead_

**Amara: **_Girl, you gotta get a gimmick if you wanna get ahead_

The other three girls step back, still moving in time to the beat, and Rahne takes the spotlight.

**Rahne: **_You can [!], you can [!], you can [!][!][!]_

With every "[!]", she does a right kick, left kick, and a right-left-right jab, respectively, before standing back up.

_That's how you play your part  
So I [!] and I [!] and I [!][!][!]  
But I hold a werewolf's heart_

At "heart," she does a forward flip while morphing into her wolf form, gracefully landing on all fours and earning a wide-eyed expression of surprise from Ryo. The music comes to an abrupt half. With a wolfish-grin, Rahne tilts her head up towards the ceiling and gives a proud howl before becoming human, just as the music starts up again.

_Once I was an outcast, now I'm learning real fast  
How to morph and make the fight good  
You gotta have a gimmick; deep inside you knew you would._

She steps back, allowing both Jubilee and Tabby to take over.

**Jubilee: **_She can [!], she can [!], she can [!][!][!]_

On each "[!]", she lets out a tiny spark from the fingers on her right hand, her left placed casually on her hip. Ryo smiles as the shimmer of colors flutter about the room, sending a splash of color against the wall.

_But leaves you left to hang_

**Tabby: **_Us, we [!] and we [!], and we [!][!][!]_

Tabby, on the other hand, sets off tiny mid-air explosions on each "[!]", earning a startled jump from her one-member audience the first time she did so.

_Always going out with a bang._

On "bang," she lets out a huge explosive, throwing it on the floor directly in front of her and Jubilee so it would dramatically let out a curtain of smoke, through with Jubilee uses to create a short light show during the second musical hiatus. When the last of the fireworks and smoke fade, they remain still until the music starts again

_We're electrifyin' when hardly even tryin'_

**Jubilee: **_I've hardly even put up a sweat._

Singing their last line in unison, they start walking backwards towards the other girls.

**Jubilee/Tabby: **_'Cause if you got a gimmick, girl, they ain't seen nothing yet._

As Ryo lets out a muffled snicker, Amara steps forward.

**Amara: **_They can [!] and then [!]and then [!][!][!]_

On each of her "[!]", Amara alternates hands, letting out a puff of fireballs with a snap of the fingers.

_But still, they lack finesse  
Me, I [!] and I [!] and I [!][!][!],  
With the grace of a princess_

The music doesn't stop, but is replaced with a light, airy melody as she dances around the room, with a spread of the arms, twirl, twirl…*poof!* She pulls a double snap of the fingers. Again, a few graceful moves…*poof*. Double snap. A repetition of before ending in a twirl, twirl, twirl…*snap**snap* A snap of the right followed by the left on beat. The music starts up once more in its original tempo.

_Yes, it's true—I'm Royal…but even more so loyal,  
And I'm so hot that I am on fire_

On "fire" she spreads her arms out transforms into her Magna form; the girls in the background give a cheer at the display. She powers down before continuing.

_You gotta a get a gimmick, one of your own to acquire_

The other three step up with her, singing the next few lines in a three-part round…first Rahne, then Tabby/Jubilee, followed by Amara. In that order, they slowly circle Ryo where she sits while singing their part.

**[Round]:**_Do something special  
Anything that's fresh'll  
Earn yourself a place in their hearts_

Holding out the last note, they all move back in line, side by side and motioning towards one another

**All: **_You're more than just a mimic when you got a gimmick  
Take a look how different we are_

Tabby and Jubilee take a step forward, innocently playing with sparks on their fingers.

**Tabby/Jubilee: **_If you wanna make it, twinkle while you shake it_

Amara replaces them, holding a ball of flame in one hand.

**Amara: **_If you wanna light it, be sure to ignite it._

She blows it out, allowing Rahne to step up.

**Rahne: **_If you never fear it, know that you've got spirit_

She steps back, and the four of them sing the last lines in harmony.

**All: **_Get yourself a gimmick and you, too,  
Can be a star_

As the song fades out, Ryo awards the four girls with thunderous applause and laughter. She stands up and, with grins on their faces, the four girls walk over and envelop her into a group hug. "Welcome to the Newbies." Jubilee manages to say through fits of giggling.


End file.
